A Federal High Court sitting in Effurun, Delta State, has ordered Nigerian social media influencer VeryDarkMan to pay N30 million in damages to Mrs. Esinjemiyotan Uruneyonjuyei Atsepoyi, the wife of comedian Mr Jollof, over a defamation case.
The case began in September 2024 during an online dispute between VeryDarkMan and Mr Jollof. In the heat of the argument, VeryDarkMan accused Mr Jollof’s wife of having an affair with politicians and internet fraudsters, allegedly to help her husband secure a political appointment in Delta State.
The allegation sparked strong reactions. Mr Jollof, in response, attacked VeryDarkMan’s background, saying he came from a broken home and lacked proper upbringing.
Following the accusations, Mrs. Atsepoyi filed a N500 million defamation suit against VeryDarkMan, insisting that her reputation had been damaged by the online claims.
In a judgment delivered on May 13, 2026, Justice R. Harriman of the Federal High Court ruled that VeryDarkMan failed to provide any evidence to support his allegations.
The court held that the statements were defamatory in nature and awarded N20 million as general damages and N10 million as aggravated damages, making a total of N30 million.
The judge also ordered VeryDarkMan to publish a public apology within 14 days. The apology must be placed in two national newspapers and on all his social media platforms, with a full retraction of the claims made in September 2024.
The court further restrained him, his agents, or anyone acting on his behalf from making any further defamatory statements against the claimant.
Justice Harriman added that because the allegations were widely circulated online, a formal apology and retraction were necessary to repair the damage done to her reputation.